


Stood up or turned up?

by makerofaqueen



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: First Date, Fluff, M/M, cute af
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-12 09:18:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13544325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makerofaqueen/pseuds/makerofaqueen
Summary: Nico has the worst night of his life, being stood up on a date with his boyfriend. But hang on, who is the blond cutie?





	Stood up or turned up?

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote some Solangelo fluff because today has been horrible and I needed to comfort myself.

Nico sighed and checked his phone for what seemed like the thousand time the last hour. Nothing. The texts he had sent hadn’t even been read. The little icon said his boyfriend was online but he still ignored Nico. The waitress came by and asked him if he was ready to order yet or if he wanted still another coke while he waited. Nico shook his head and was just about to ask for the bill when someone sat down at his table. It was a man about his own age, with blond disheveled hair as yellow as the sun.

‘Sorry I’m late, babe!’ The guy exclaimed. ‘There was an emergency at the hospital. I tried calling you but you must be out of service.’

The waitress looked the guy over and shrugged. She handed him a menu and he looked it over before deciding on shrimp pasta.

‘Drink?’ the waitress asked.

‘You know, after that hellish shift I’ll be needing some wine.’ He looked over at Nico. ‘Wanna share a bottle?’

Nico thought he was nodding, but he wasn’t sure. When the waitress asked him what he wanted to eat Nico mumbled something about same while he stared like an idiot at the guy who was now sitting opposite him at the table. The waitress disappeared and the guy smiled at him, while he leaned closer and whispered conspiratorially:

‘I noticed you sitting here staring at your phone for the past hour and I figured you’d been stood up?’

‘Uhm… I guess.’

‘Well, you’re way too cute to have been stood up so I figured I’d save your face.’

Nico was beyond puzzled. Who even does such a thing?

‘Thanks?’

‘No biggie. I’m Will,’ he said with a dazzling smile just as the waitress came back with their wine and a couple of glasses. She served them and then went on her way again.

‘Nico,’ Nico managed as Will took his first sip of the wine.

‘Amazing wine!’ he exclaimed. Nico smiled faintly. ‘Nico, huh? Pretty name. Are you Italian?’

Nico blushed and nodded.

‘Well, I said I’m Will. That’s short for William, but call me Will, please.’

‘Oh. Nice.’

Will smiled at him and Nico realized he didn’t at all mind this weird young man sitting at his table. He worked up a little courage and asked:

‘So you said you’d been watching me for the past hour. What have you been doing that made you able to watch me for this entire time?’

Now it was Will’s turn to blush slightly.

‘I work as a valet at the restaurant across the street. I saw you through the window. I felt so sorry for you so when my shift was over and you were still sitting here alone I figured, what the heck, you know? YOLO, and all that.’

‘YOLO?’

‘You only live once?’

‘Yeah, I know what it means, but who actually _says_ that in a verbal conversation? Like, honestly, William.’

Nico was feeling a little more confident now. That might be the wine talking or the fact that he was feeling slightly less insecure about being stood up by his deadbeat boyfriend. Either way, he enjoyed Will’s company. He was funny and easy on the eyes.

‘I thought I told you not to call me that.’

‘Sure. Sorry. Any particular reason?’

‘May be. But that’s not first date conversation material. You’ll have to at least take me out a couple more times for heavy stuff like that.’

Nico couldn’t tell if Will was joking or not, but he laughed nonetheless. Will smiled at him from over the rim of his wineglass.

‘So what do you do Nico? Who are you? I feel like we should take this opportunity to get to know each other. I’ve already told you where I work. Now it’s your turn.’

‘I’m a student. I major in music and I’m also doing a minor in business.’

‘Wow. Interesting choice of topics.’

Nico smirked.

‘My dad runs a record company, so no, not really.’

‘So you’re taking over the family business?’

‘I guess. I love music, so I figure I’d just might. What about you? I don’t suppose you’ll be a valet for the rest of your life?’

Will laughed, and damn, if that wasn’t the most wonderful sound Nico had ever heard. Forget about music. He could listen to Will’s laugh for the rest of his days.

‘No, I don’t suppose I will. I’m studying medicine, actually. Trying to become a doctor.’

‘Wow! That’s really cool.’

Will blushed a little.

‘Well, I’m doing my best…’

‘Isn’t that a super long education, though?’

‘Yeah, it is. Pre-med, med school, internships… It’s a lot of work.’

‘I bet.’

Their food arrived and Nico looked down at what he had hazily ordered. Shrimp pasta. At least it looked good. Will dug into his food with vigor and Nico followed suit. It tasted like Italian heaven. Nico chewed and decided to ask about something that had been bugging him with Will’s whole appearing at his table.

‘You took quite a gamble with this, didn’t you?’ he asked.

Will looked up from his meal and looked thoroughly confused for a moment before Nico explained.

‘Well, sitting down at some random guy’s table pretending to be his date. I could have been a raging homophobe for all you knew. Personally, that’s a risk I never would have been comfortable taking.’

Will shrugged while he chewed his food, then he simply said:

‘YOLO.’

Nico rolled his eyes.

‘There’s that word again.’

Will smirked and jutted his chin towards Nico’s phone.

‘You have a pride flag on your phone case, Nico. I didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out the odds were in my favor.’

 Nico looked down at his phone and blushed. He hadn’t gotten used to his new case yet. His friend Jason had given it to him for his birthday as a gag because he claimed that Nico wasn’t a “proper gay” for dressing in his all black, emo MCR get-up.

‘…right.’ Nico picked it up and waved in Will’s face. ‘So, obviously I’m gay.’

‘Obviously,’ Will said and smiled that dazzling smile again. ‘And now you want to know what I am, but you don’t want to ask because you know that’s rude.’

Nico looked at his food. He took a bite and chewed quietly while he nodded.

‘Something like that,’ he said quietly when he had swallowed. Will chuckled softly, which made Nico look up and meet his gaze. His eyes looked dark purple in the low light of the restaurant. Will smiled, and didn’t look at all offended, so Nico relaxed.

‘Well, I’m not gay,’ Will said. Nico’s stomach dropped. Of course he wasn’t. A handsome guy like that was obviously straight. Nico was an idiot for getting his hopes up. Just because Will was a decent human being didn’t mean he was ready to be anything more to Nico. Will must have sensed his disappointment because he continued: ‘…but I’m not straight either.’

‘You’re not?’ Nico said and realized he sounded kind of happy about that. Will shook his head as the waitress came by and picked their plates up.

‘Do you guys want anything else?’ she asked.

‘No thanks, we’re good,’ Will said. ‘Actually, you could bring us the check.’

Nico panicked. He didn’t want the evening to end, but it was as if Will could read his mind or something, because as soon as the waitress was gone he said:

‘I know this great little ice cream truck that’s parked a block away. Want to take a walk and have dessert?’

More than anything, Nico thought.

‘Yeah,’ he said and smiled faintly.

‘Well, let me make a round to the men’s room and then we can leave, yeah?’ Will said. Nico nodded. While he was gone the waitress came with the check and Nico paid it. He figured the least he could do was to treat Will to a meal when he had basically saved his evening form becoming a gigantic fiasco. Nico picked up their jackets and went to meet Will in the hallway. Will looked quizzically at him when he handed him his clothes.

‘What about the bill?’

‘Taken care of,’ Nico smiled and walked outside.

‘Well, then at least let me pay for the ice cream.’

‘We’ll see,’ Nico smirked at him. ‘Lead the way, doctor.’

Will offered him his arm and Nico took it. They walked arm in arm through the park.

‘So, just out of curiosity,’ Will said. ‘Who was the asshole that stood you up?’

‘My boyfriend,’ Nico said. ‘Or… ex now, I suppose. He didn’t even bother to answer my texts but I could see he’d read them.’

Will smiled down at him.

‘Well, if he’s the kind of person who stood you up without even bothering to explain why, you’re better off without him.’

‘I suppose.’

‘Ah, here we are,’ Will said and indicated a pink, kind of battered, ice cream truck. It was surrounded by quite a lot of people waiting for their turn. Nico instantly loved it. Will took a number and they waited in silence. ‘Order their special,’ Will stage whispered when it was their turn to order.

‘Two specials?’ the guy in the truck asked.

‘I guess,’ Nico said and shrugged. He was handed a giant cone with three scoops of peanut butter and white chocolate chip ice cream with hot fudge sauce on. Will got one just like it.

Nico decided to let Will pay for the ice cream, then they sat down on a bench to eat it. Nico munched on his ice cream in silence while Will fidgeted beside him. After a while, he said:

‘So… I really enjoyed tonight. I’m glad I decided to sit down at your table.’

‘Me too,’ Nico smiled into his ice cream. ‘Your gamble paid off.’

‘So, I guess what I’m trying to ask is if you’d like to do this again?’

‘Get myself stood up so you can come sweeping in to save me?’

‘Or just agree to go on a date with me to begin with,’ Will smiled, ‘so I don’t have to crash any more of your dates.’

‘Yeah. I’d like that,’ Nico said and smiled back. God, he had smiled more this evening than he had these past months which was kind of sad now that he thought about it.

‘Gimme your phone,’ Will said and gestured with his fingers for it. Nico handed it over so Will could put his number in. He named himself _Sunshine._

‘So, Sunshine,’ Nico said, ‘live close to here?’

‘Actually, yes, a block away. Why?’

‘Figured I’d walk you home. Least I can do.’

‘That _is_ the least you can do,’ Will smirked. He got up from the bench and once again offered Nico his arm. Nico took it and let Will steer him through the small park and in among the buildings. They walked along an empty road. There were no cars driving this late at night. Will realized he would be incredibly tired at the hospital tomorrow, but right now he didn’t care about such trivialities. He had the cutest guy he had ever laid his eyes on hanging off his arm and he was confident that he would see him again. Will would have happily taken an entire sleepless night if he got to spend it with Nico.

They arrived at his building. Will stopped beneath the stairs leading up to the entrance and turned towards Nico. The shorter man let his hand slide from Will’s arm down to his hand and laced their fingers together.

‘I’ll definitely call you,’ he said. He looked earnest.

‘You better,’ Will smirked.

Nico stood up on his tiptoes so their faces almost aligned. Will realized what he was doing so he leaned down the last inch and let their lips touch. Nico had soft, dry lips, and he tasted sweet from the ice cream. When he pulled away he was heavily blushing. Will thought it was cute as all heck.

‘I have to go inside,’ he said, ‘I have a shift at the hospital tomorrow.’

‘Yeah,’ Nico said and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. ‘I have to get going, too. I suppose I have a boyfriend to break up with.’

‘You’re visiting him tonight?’

‘Naw. I’ll send him a text. He doesn’t really deserve more to be honest. I’m going home now.’

‘Is it far?’

‘A little, I’ll hail a cab. Don’t worry.’

‘Can you send me a text when you get home so I know you’re safe?’

‘Totally.’

Will leaned down for another kiss, one Nico was more than happy to grant him, then he walked up the stairs. He turned around just before he went inside the door and saw Nico standing at the bottom of the stairs watching him.

‘Good night,’ he called down to the other man.

‘Good night,’ Nico said before he walked back to the busier road to hail a cab.

Once he had brushed his teeth and crawled into bed Will got a text from an unknown number saying: _Good night, Sunshine._

 _Good night_ , was Will’s only answer before he crashed with a faint smile on his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments make me smile.
> 
> Come be my friend at my tumblr makerofaqueen


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